Following lower-than-expected jobs figures, US President Donald Trump fired the former head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and replaced him with a conservative think tank economist. EJ Antoni, a federal budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, was named by the president as the candidate for commissioner of the important economic organization. He wrote on Truth Social, “E.J. will make sure that the numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE, and our economy is booming.”
BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer was sacked by Trump earlier in August on the grounds that she had “rigged” employment statistics to harm his reputation. This charge prompted harsh condemnation from economists of all political persuasions. The appointment must be confirmed by the US Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans.
With a PhD in economics, Antoni has previously criticized the BLS, calling its figures “phoney baloney” and casting doubt on its methods. He stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) “needs to take a chainsaw to the BLS” in a post on X last November.Powerful Trump ally Antoni had received great support from Steve Bannon to take over at the BLS.
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